Market Trends: Canadians Cautiously Optimistic - Economy

In the first of an eight part series on Randstad Canada’s Labour Trends Study 2014 - Demanded Skills and Expectations, we take a look at some of Canadian’s expectations have regarding the future of the Canadian economy.

Part 1:Canadians Cautiously Optimistic Regarding Economy

Employees Vs Managers

Despite a slow year for full-time employment workers are still reasonably confidence in the Canadian economy, with near perfect splits of those who are less and more confident in Canada’s growth. The divide exists more so between regions and work position, with Canada’s eastern provinces showing signs of waning confidence, and employers or managers indicating they see more of silver lining than their employees.

Slowdowns and job losses in Canada’s most populous province seem to be having the greatest effect on overall confidence, with Ontario being the least confident through much of our data.

Men are also considerably more confident in both the job market and the economy than women, expanding on a trend that while women may be more educated, men believe they have either advantages regarding the labour market, or are patently more confident regardless of ability or experience. This is something we’ve found in other reports and through discussions from our Women Shaping Business program.

Management more optimistic than employees

The Strength of the Canadian economy

37.5% Managers vs 21.8% Employees – more confident

22.3% Employees vs 18.4% Managers – less confident

The Canadian Job Market

30.3% Managers vs 19.2% Employees – more confident

29% Employees vs 25.2% Managers – less confident

West more optimistic than East

The Strength of the Canadian economy

35.4% Alberta – High regional – more confident

32.2% BC – High regional – more confident

26.1% Quebec – Low regional – more confident

19.6% Atlantic Canada – Low regional – more confident

The Canadian Job Market

31.3% Alberta – High regional – more confident

30.4% BC – High regional – more confident

22.6% Ontario – Low regional – more confident

18.1% Atlantic Canada – Low regional – more confident

Where do you feel the Canadian Economy is going? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @RandstadCanada.

Details on the upcoming study

Randstad Canada with the help of Ipsos Ried has undertaken a comprehensive study of Canadian employees and employers in regards to their expectations for the 2014. Through a survey, Ipsos contacted over 2,000 Canadians, 800 of which were managers and employers and 1276 employees.

The full report will be available to the public in February, but we felt it was important to provide the public with some of the initial findings as soon as we could.